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OUR VIEW: Dangers of storm chasing

Published: Wednesday, June 5, 2013 at 6:24 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, June 5, 2013 at 6:25 p.m.

Storm chasing is, by its very nature, a dangerous activity. It attracts adrenaline junkies, those who thrive on the danger. It also attracts scientists who seek data they hope will lead to better forecasting and thus save lives.

Tim Samaras — the veteran storm chaser who died Friday night along with two colleagues, including his son, while chasing a tornado near El Reno, Okla. — falls into the latter category.

He was, by all accounts, a dedicated scientist and also a cautious one. There were risks, no doubt, any time he was pursuing a storm, but he was not known for subjecting himself or his co-workers to undue jeopardy.

The analysis of the latest storm to hit Oklahoma illustrates the risks Samaras and other storm chasers face in the pursuit of science. The storm had some of the most powerful winds ever recorded, at more than 295 mph. Only the 1999 storm that hit nearby Moore, Okla., topped it, with 300-mph winds.

The storm, which killed 13 people, also was noteworthy because of its sheer size. A mile-wide storm is terrifying in its own right, but this one grew from a mile wide to 2.5 miles wide in as little as 30 seconds, according to various reports.

To put it in perspective, a mile-wide storm starting at Gadsden’s City Hall would stretch past the Etowah County Courthouse. At the story’s widest, it would have reached from City Hall to the middle of the old steel plant. That’s massive.

It’s unknown how much, if any, data Samaras was able to collect about the storm, but his death was not in vain.

At the very least, it serves as a reminder to us all to heed weather warnings and treat severe weather with the respect it deserves.

The peak season for tornadoes has passed in Alabama, but they can occur at any time, and they don’t have to rival the size of the one that killed Samaras to cause loss of life and limb.

<p>Storm chasing is, by its very nature, a dangerous activity. It attracts adrenaline junkies, those who thrive on the danger. It also attracts scientists who seek data they hope will lead to better forecasting and thus save lives.</p><p>Tim Samaras — the veteran storm chaser who died Friday night along with two colleagues, including his son, while chasing a tornado near El Reno, Okla. — falls into the latter category.</p><p>He was, by all accounts, a dedicated scientist and also a cautious one. There were risks, no doubt, any time he was pursuing a storm, but he was not known for subjecting himself or his co-workers to undue jeopardy.</p><p>The analysis of the latest storm to hit Oklahoma illustrates the risks Samaras and other storm chasers face in the pursuit of science. The storm had some of the most powerful winds ever recorded, at more than 295 mph. Only the 1999 storm that hit nearby Moore, Okla., topped it, with 300-mph winds.</p><p>The storm, which killed 13 people, also was noteworthy because of its sheer size. A mile-wide storm is terrifying in its own right, but this one grew from a mile wide to 2.5 miles wide in as little as 30 seconds, according to various reports.</p><p>To put it in perspective, a mile-wide storm starting at Gadsden's City Hall would stretch past the Etowah County Courthouse. At the story's widest, it would have reached from City Hall to the middle of the old steel plant. That's massive.</p><p>It's unknown how much, if any, data Samaras was able to collect about the storm, but his death was not in vain. </p><p>At the very least, it serves as a reminder to us all to heed weather warnings and treat severe weather with the respect it deserves. </p><p>The peak season for tornadoes has passed in Alabama, but they can occur at any time, and they don't have to rival the size of the one that killed Samaras to cause loss of life and limb.</p>